Students Collect Coins For Charity

April 27, 2012

ST. MARYS — For the past few weeks, students at Holy Rosary School have collected, sorted and counted the loose change in sippy cups they are donating to Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley.

“I had an employee call and say, ‘My sister has a donation of hundreds of sippy cups, can we use them,’ and I said, ‘Sure,’” said Kim Custenborder, the development coordinator for Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley. “They sat in my office for a while, and I realized I needed to do a project for the Auglaize County United Way’s Day of Caring. I came up with the idea, and I called Lora (Krugh) at Holy Rosary and asked if she would be interested.”

Krugh agreed, and “A Cup of Caring Campaign” was born.

Catholic Social Services sent 140 sippy cups to Holy Rosary School.

“We put labels on the cups and we put a note in them and we sent them home with the kids,” Custenborder said. “They had them for two weeks.”

The students end up raising $1,298 and still have cups coming in.

“Our parish loves to get involved in what our children are doing,” Krugh said, also complimenting the Holy Rosary parishoners who donated change in the sippy cups the students put out during Mass.

Custenborder noted the organization was “thrilled” with what the students collected.

“We were extremely thrilled,” Custenborder said.

“When Lora called us and told us how much they brought in, and I was excited when I was told the kindergartners and the seventh-graders worked together.”

Holy Rosary’s kindergarten students separated the change, and the seventh-grade students counted the money.

“We engaged so many young people in this project,” Custenborder said. “This is going back to the community and going back to their people. We’re teaching them at a young age, and later in life, this kids are going to be the philanthropists, the people who keep their community striving.”

She also praised Holy Rosary on everything they have done in the past.

“They do things like this all the time,” Custenborder said. “We are all benefactors of their good work.”

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley serves eight counties.

“We help people in Auglaize County with parenting support and pregnancy and adoption support,” Custenborder said.

“Our mission is to strengthen individuals through actions of faith, service and charity. This was an opportunity to collaborate with another organization that has the same beliefs we have.”

She noted all the money raised by Holy Rosary students and the Holy Rosary parish will remain in Auglaize County.

“It is earmarked for Auglaize County,” Custenborder said, noting they have off-site locations for individual, group and family counseling.

“We’re the only faith-based pregnancy and adoption organization in the area.”

Krugh said that was one of positive from the campaign.

“To know our money will benefit Auglaize County is great for us,” she said.

Once all the cups are turned in, Krugh noted they will be washed and donated to Agape Ministries when the school turns in the money it raises for Buck A Jeans Day.

“It’s really a win-win,” she said. “Our kids did some learning with math — the kindergarten was learning to sort change, so that was great for them, and every child needs work on counting money.”

Custenborder noted the “A Cup of Caring Campaign” was also a tool for Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley.

“A lot of people in Auglaize County don’t know about the work we’re providing,” she said. “It was a great culmination activity for us as well. It educated people on what we’re doing.”

More information about Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley can be found by calling its office at 1-800-521-6419, by “liking” Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley on Facebook or by visiting its website at CSSMV.org.